Sire Line Dominates SA G1 Races
Of the 16 South African G1 races run in 2012, no fewer than ten have been horses who are male line descendants of Northern Dancer. In fact, there are just sire lines represented in G1 winners of this past season – namely Turn-to, Mr Prospector and Blushing Groom.
Turn-To is felt through the success of Greys Inn (Royal Bencher SA Derby), Victory Moon (Princess Victoria G1 Cape Fillies Guineas), and More Than Ready (Gimmethegreenlight G1 Queen’s Plate).
The mighty Blushing Groom is the ancestor of Bambina Stripes – winner of this season’s G1 SA Fillies Classic. Mr Prospector is the ancestor of Dancewiththedevil (Summer Cup, Horse Chestnut S), and Slumdogmillionaire (SA Classic).
All the other G1 winners this season are direct descendants of remarkable Northern Dancer, whose stock have dominated world breeding, particularly in Europe.
In fact, every single local G1 race this season has been won by a horse carrying the blood of Northern Dancer, and a number are inbred to the great stallion.
So is this too much of a good thing? Are South African bloodlines in need of an outcross?
Of the top ten sires on the South African general sires list, six are Northern Dancer line descendants (the top three are all direct Northern Dancer descendants). Two are Mr Prospector line horses, and the two Turn-To descendants make up the reminder of the top ten.
In fact, of the top twenty only three of sires on the general sires list are not descendants of Mr Prospector or Northern Dancer!
While many sire lines eventually all but die out, there is no sign of that being the case with Northern Dancer, and his numerous descendants.
Throughout the world, Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector lines dominate major races. Japan and Australasia, however, are represented by more diversity through the Turn To male line, with the descendants of such super sires as Sunday Silence and Sir Tristram still dominating many of the region’s top races.
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Mr Prospector Continues To Dominate US Classic Races
While the Mr Prospector male line has never enjoyed the same kind of success in Europe that the descendants of Northern Dancer have, it is a different story in North America. The Preakness Stakes is another key example.
Of the last 13 runnings of the US classic, following Saturday’s win by Mr Prospector male line descendant I’ll Have Another (it was a 1-2 for Mr P descendants in the Preakness), the Preakness has been won by a Mr Prospector line horse on nine occasions. During that same period, three other Preakness winners were produced by mares sired by Mr Prospector line stallions.
This truly underlines the dominance enjoyed by Mr Prospector in the US classic races.
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Europe’s Star Miler Ties To 70’s SA Superstar
Excelebration, runner up in Saturday’s G1 Lockinge Stakes, is a superb miler – without Frankel, he would look even better. The son of Exceed And Excel has, to date, won four pattern races and, had Frankel not been on the scene, Excelebration would have won a further two g1 races.
It is worth noting that Excelebration is a descendant of Fantan – herself also the granddam of one of the greatest racehorses ever to set foot on a South African racetrack. Fantan’s daughter, Ofa, produced the mighty Politician, the winner of no fewer than 18 races, and a dual Horse of the Year.
One of the great bargains of all time, Politician won no fewer than 10 G1 races, including two Mets, two Queen’s Plate, and the Durban July Handicap. He also won the Cape classic double of the Guineas and Derby, and is without question one of the greatest horses ever to race in South Africa.
Ofa herself is also the ancestress of numerous high-class South African performers, such as Broodmare of the Year Jessamine, G1 winner Shoe Express, and high-class stayer Art de Vivre.
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How Far Will Frankel Stay?
With his smooth win in Saturday’s G1 Lockinge Stakes, superstar Frankel reinforced his status as the world’s top racehorse. This season could see the unbeaten colt step up in trip and try to win the Juddmonte International, run over just further than ten furlongs.
A headstrong sort as a 3yo, Frankel seemed much more settled in Saturday’s race, and if his pedigree is any indication should be more than capable of seeing out ten furlongs this season.
By Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), whose three G1 triumphs all came over a mile and half, Frankel’s dam, the Danehill mare Kind, won Listed races between five and seven furlongs . Frankel’s three parts brother (by Sadler’s Wells), Bullet Train, won the G3 Lingfield Derby Trial over 2400 metres, while another brother, Noble Mission, won the Listed Newmarket Stakes over 2000 metres.
Danehill himself never won over further than 1400 metres (although he ran third in the 2000 Guineas over 1600m) , but sired a number of high-class performers over one mile and a half including Derby winners Desert King and North Light, as well as outstanding stayer Westerner.
Frankel’s granddam, Rainbow Lake, won the G3 Lancashire Oaks, and won up to 11 furlongs. She is by stamina influence and Arc winner Rainbow Quest. Frankel himself is closely related to the multiple G1 winner Powerscourt (by Sadler’s Wells out of Rainbow Lake), whose five wins included scores over 2400 metres.
Third dam, Rockfest, was placed in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, and is by the Belmont Stakes winner and stamina influence Stage Door Johnny.
While Frankel’s pedigree is clearly that of a horse looking for 2000 metres plus, the horse himself has more speed and brilliance than any of his immediate relatives. Hopefully, he gets a chance to attempt further than one mile later in the season.
Promising Debut For Gibraltar Sister
Scream Blue Murder, a 2yo half-sister to the brilliant SA performer Gibraltar Blue, made a promising debut on Sunday. Racing in a 1200m maiden at Navan, Scream Blue Murder ran second beaten a length and a half. The winner, Cristoforo Colombo, is highly regarded, and gave his sire, Henrythenavigator, his second winner from just four runners.
This was a smart first run, as her pedigree, she is a daughter of Oratorio, suggests she would appreciate a bit further. Her half-sister, Gibraltar Blue, has, to date, won six times and earned over R1 million, having scored in the KRA Fillies Guineas and Tibouchina Stakes, to name but a few.
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Krisflyer Victor’s Dam Narrow Escape
It was a great weekend for Maine Chance Farms, who bred both the G1 Krisflyer Sprint winner, Ato, as well as Flax – who ran third in the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup.
Stud manager John Slade said they purchased Ato’s dam, Another Legend, in foal to Giant’s Causeway. The mare, was too close to foaling to ship to South Africa, so Maine Chance arranged for her to be covered by Royal Academy, following her delivery of her foal (the smart performer Another Giant).
Following the birth of a Western Winter colt, named Abydos, Another Legend delivered a smashing Silvano colt named Ayrton. This colt fetched R800 000 at the 2012 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Sadly, Another Legend had a shocking experience when foaling in 2010 – she ruptured her uterine artery and lost her Silvano foal. Another Legend, who nearly died at the time, was thus not subsequently bred.
